Distributing-valve for steam-engines.



N0. 706,|3|. Patented Aug. 5, |902.

' C. TUCKFIELD.

DISTBIBUTING VALVE FOR STEM ENGINES.

(Application led Nov. 15. 1901,)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES TUCKFIELD, OF EAST MOLESEY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS TODYSON WESTON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

DISTRIBUTING-VALVE FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 706,131, dated August5, 1902. Application filed November 15. 1901. Serial No.r821390. (Nomodel.\

To all whom, ity may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES TUOKFIELD, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at 12 Palace Crescent, East Molesey, county of Surrey,England, have invented new and useful Improvements inDistributing-Valves for Steam-Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in distributing-valves forsteam-engines, and more particularly to those of the rotary type, theobject being to provide means whereby an engine can be arranged to workas an ordinary high-pressure engineer as a compound engine and can alsobe reversed.

According to the invention I make use of a valve-chest having a faceupon which there rests a valve provided with a number of passages whichby adjusting the position of the valve upon the face can be brought toregister with a system of ports opening into the valve-chest and thesteam-spaces of the engine in such a manner that the said engine can becaused to act as a high-pressure engine, high-pressure steam beingadmitted to all the steam-spaces, or as a compound'em gine, the steamexhausting from one set of steam-spaces to another. By further adjusting the position of the valve the direction of rotation of theengine-shaft can be controlled.

To fully explain the invention, I willdescribe it by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which the distributing-valve is shown appliedto a compound rotary motor of the kind described in my application ofeven date herewith.

In the said drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of the motor anddistributing-valve. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation ofthe distributing-valve, showing it in a different position from thatillustrated in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the piston-disk; andFig. 6 is a developed section on the line 6, Fig. 5.

The motor comprises the casing o, having a circular recess a', in whichis located the .disk ZJ. This disk is keyed upon the shaft c, rotatablymounted in the casing a, and is formed upon each of its lateral faceswith annular grooves d el' d d. These grooves are, however, notcontinuous, but are stopped at one point, as shown at e e, Figs. l and5. In connection with each groove d d there is arranged a slidingabutmentf, located in a recess f in the casing and having a stem f2,which passes through a stuffing-box in the said casing. These slidingabutments are shaped to fit the grooves d d and are held therein by thepressure of steam behind them. K

gis the valve-casing, having the face g, and h is the valve, which islocated in the casing g and is supported upon the said face g. Thisvalve h is provided with a passage t, extending through its whole lengthand opening at each end at its under side, and also with a recessj uponits under side. This passage and the recess are adapted to be broughtinto coincidence with a number'of ports 7c lm n in the valve-face g. Theports 7c and Z have branches lc and l', which extend to the two groovesd CZ in the disk l?, and the ports m and n have branches m fn', whichextend to the two grooves d' in rthe said disk. Furthermore, thevalve-face g/ has an opening o in lcommunication with the exhaust o'.

02 is the steam-inlet to the casing g.

vViith thisarrangement when the valve h is in the position showny inFig. l steam passes from the chcstg, through the ports 7c and k', to thetwo grooves d between the stops e e and the abutmentsff, therebyrotating the disk. As soon as the stops e e have passedk the ports Z Zthe steam escapes from the grooves d and iiows through 4the saidpassages Z, the port Z, the valve-passage t', port fm, passages m' intothe grooves d', after loW.- ing through lwhich and actuating the disk bit escapes through the passages n n' into the port nand thence into thevalve-recessj and through the port o into the exhaust o'. In thisposition of the valve, therefore, the engine operates as a compoundengine. In the position of the valve 71, (shown in Fig. 4) the steamfrom the Valve-chest g passes through the ports 7a and m and thepassages 7e m directly to all the disk-grooves, from which it escapesafter doing its work through the passages Z n and ports Z- n to thevalve-recessj and exhaust o o'. It will beclear that by moving the valveto the same positions on the other side of the median plane of theengine IOC the same results are obtained, except that the disk rotatesin the opposite direction.

The position of the Valve can advantageously be controlled by the rod p,which passes through a stufng-boxp on the valvecasingg and is pivotcd atq to a lever q', fulcrumed at q2 to the casing at. The steam to keep theabutments in the grooves d d is supplied from the valve-chest g throughthe passages fr r.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim isl. In a steam-engine having more than one steam-cylinderor steam-space, a valve-casing having steam ports and passages communi-Vcating with each end of the said cylinders or steam-spaces and aslide-valve movable to different positions having passages therein,whereby two positions of the slide-valve will make cylinders orsteam-spaces high-pressure engines in opposite directions and two otherpositions will make the cylinders or steam-spaces a compound engine inopposite directions, substantially as described.

E?. The combination with a motor provided with a plurality of cylindersor steam-spaces, of a valve-chest provided with a main inlet and anexhaust-outlet, and With separate inlet and exhaust ports communicatingrwith each of said cylinders or steam-spaces, a sliding valve in saidchest, provided with a passage for connecting the exhaust-ports for onecylinder or steam-space with the inlet-ports of another cylinder orsteam-space and a separate passage, for connecting the exhaustport ofthe last cylinder or steam-space with the main exhaust, whereby twopositions Will make the cylinders or steam-spaces high-pressure enginesmoving in opposite directions and two other positions will make saidcylinders or steam-spaces a compound engine moving in oppositedirections, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a motor provided with a plurality of cylindersor steam-spaces, of a valve-chest provided with a main inlet and anexhaust-outlet, and with separate inlet and exhaust ports communicatingwith each of said cylinders or steam-spaces, a sliding valve in saidchest provided with separate passages for independently connectingcertain ports of the Valve-casing whereby the motor may be adjusted as ahigh-pressure or compound motor, and reversed, in either adjustment, andmeans for moving said valve, substantially as described.

CHARLES TUCKFIELD.

Witnesses:

C. G. REDFERN, A. ALBUTT.

